Dichroic Reflections

Shakespeare and needlework

Squeee! I just bought tickets to see Much Ado About Nothing at the Ashland Shakespeare Festival on July 7! The Rudder 'Rents live in a nearby town but somehow we've just never been there at the right time to see one of the plays. They do have modern plays as weel but I wanted to see on of Will's, and Rudder cleverly reminded me to be sure to pick a night showing so we can see it in their Globe replica theater. The choices were Henry VI (part I or II&III), Much Ado or Twelfth Night. If it had been Henry V I'd have chosen that like a shot but Henry 6 isn't one of my favorite kings and I figured Rudder and the 'Rents might enjoy a comedy more anyway. Picking between Twelfth Night and Much Ado was easy, at least -- I chose the one available on the day we wanted to go. Between the play, a trip to the Oregon Coast, visiting with relatives, and getting to spend the Fourth of July in a town small enough that we can see fireworks and not get caught in a traffic jam afterwards, it's going to be a fun trip.

We'll also get to spend a couple of days with Rudder's grandparents. I may get his grandmother to teach me to knit; I've been thinking it would be a good thing to do on all those long drives to regattas. I can't read for long in a car and cross-stitch would be even worse. Knitting and crocheting look like activities I could do in a car seat without having to stare at them constantly. (I don't suppose they allow knitting needles or even crochet hooks on airplanes these days.) It might not be a bad idea to learn some basics on my own first, though. Can anyone out there recommend a good book for an absolute beginner? If I'm wrong about being able to do it as a passenger (that is, if I'd have to stare at it the whole time) I need to know that too.